Morales saves Red Sox bullpen with long outing

Morales saves Red Sox bullpen with long outing

TORONTO After his outing Sunday afternoon, 4 13 scoreless innings against the Blue Jays, Franklin Morales was surprised to learn it was his longest outing since more than four years ago.

But I was a starter then, he said.

Yes, he was a starter on April 28, 2008, with the Rockies when he went 4 13 innings. His performance Sunday afternoon was his longest as a reliever.

Morales entered Sundays game with two outs and the bases loaded to take over after Daniel Bards dismal start.

The first couple innings was tough to watch, manager Bobby Valentine said. After that was easy to watch. Franklin was easy to watch, I guarantee that.

Franklin saved the day so we didnt have to abuse the bullpen, I guarantee that.

Morales gave up just two hits with no walks and four strikeouts. He combined with Scott Atchison and Rich Hill to keep the Jays off the scoreboard over the final 6 13 innings.

Morales was rested. He had pitched just twice in the previous week, a total of one inning and 28 pitches two-thirds of an inning and 22 pitches Thursday against the Tigers and one-third of an inning and six pitches May 27 against the Rays. But he more than doubled his previous career-high in innings pitched as a reliever in one outing (2.0) which he had done 12 times previously. Valentine checked with Morales at the end of each inning to make sure he was good to go out for the next one.

Yep, and he could have gone more, Valentine said. He felt great. He was rested and his stints havent been long really since spring training. But he has a good arm.

I didnt feel tired, Morales said. Sometimes if I dont throw a lot of pitches or a lot of innings, sometime I feel tired. But I feel very good today and my arm is good.

I know Monday is a day off and only what I do is make my pitches.

With the outing Morales lowered his ERA nearly a full run, from 4.41 to 3.48. He also lowered his already impressive road ERA more than a half run, from 1.35 to 0.82. In nine road games, spanning 11 innings, he has given up just one earned run. That compares strangely to his home ERA of 6.52 spanning 9.67 innings in 12 games.

Morales says he just tries to throw each pitch for a strike and not think too much about those kinds of numbers. It certainly worked on Sunday.

"My career had fallen into an abyss because I was so complacent with things that I had already accomplished," Sandoval said. "I did not work hard in order to achieve more and to remain at the level of the player that I am and that I can be."

After dealing Travis Shaw to the Brewers, Sandoval is expected to be the Red Sox primary third baseman in 2017.

"I am not taking anything for granted," he said. "I am here to work hard. I'm not thinking about the position or not. I am starting from scratch, and I am here to show what I can do on the field."

The 30-year-old says he’s following a “really strict routine” this offseason, and it shows. In a recent photo, Sandoval appears noticeably thinner. Sandoval says his wife giving birth to “Baby Panda” has served as inspiration.

"Watching 'Baby Panda' grow up and that he gets the opportunity to see his father play in the majors for seven, eight more years, to get back to the success I had, that's my motivation every day," Sandoval said. "The people that I surround myself with now and my family, they are the key to my success. This has been a life lesson."